Israeli Airstrikes Kill 55 Palestinians Amid Gaza Escalation/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Overnight Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 55 Palestinians, including children and women, according to hospital officials. The attacks follow Israel’s plans to carve new military corridors through Gaza to pressure Hamas. Meanwhile, Netanyahu visited Hungary as global scrutiny over the war intensifies.
Israel-Gaza Escalation – Quick Looks
- Israeli strikes killed at least 55 Palestinians overnight
- Victims include women, children, and a pregnant woman
- Netanyahu announces new “Morag corridor” to divide Gaza
- Israel halts food and aid imports for over a month
- Hamas holds 59 hostages, insists on ceasefire before release
- Netanyahu visits Hungary amid ICC arrest warrant controversy
- Hungary announces plans to withdraw from the ICC
- Western-backed Palestinian Authority rejects Israeli expansion plan
- Israeli strikes also kill nine in Syria’s Daraa province
- War has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, displaced 90%
Israeli Airstrikes Kill 55 Palestinians Amid Gaza Escalation
Deep Look
Israeli Strikes Leave 55 Dead in Gaza as Netanyahu Outlines New Offensive Strategy
At least 55 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, according to hospital officials, as Israel continues to escalate its 18-month-long war against Hamas. The intensifying campaign comes just days after top Israeli leaders declared intentions to seize more territory in Gaza and impose new military corridors designed to divide the coastal enclave.
Among the dead are numerous children and women. In Khan Younis alone, 14 bodies were brought to Nasser Hospital — including five children and four women from the same family. Nearby, the European Hospital received 19 more bodies, including a pregnant woman and five children as young as one year old. In Gaza City, another 21 bodies, including seven children, were taken to Ahli Hospital.
New Military Corridor Sparks Outcry
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed plans to establish a new “security corridor” cutting across southern Gaza, called the “Morag corridor,” named after a former Israeli settlement. The route would run between Rafah and Khan Younis and serve as a second axis to further isolate areas controlled by Hamas.
The announcement follows Israel’s ongoing control of the “Netzarim corridor,” which cuts off northern Gaza from the rest of the strip.
“We are cutting up the strip, and we are increasing the pressure step by step, so that they will give us our hostages,” Netanyahu said in a statement Wednesday.
Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, echoed the strategy, saying Israel will expand its security zones and called on Gaza’s population to “expel Hamas and return all the hostages.”
Hamas Holds Hostages, Demands Full Ceasefire
According to Israeli estimates, Hamas still holds 59 hostages from the October 2023 attack, with 24 believed to be alive. Hamas has refused to release them unless Israel agrees to a full withdrawal, prisoner exchanges, and a lasting ceasefire. The group has rejected Israel’s demands to disarm or vacate the territory.
Israel’s strategy appears aimed at ramping up military pressure while isolating Hamas from potential resupply routes — especially near the Egyptian border — even as humanitarian concerns rise.
Aid Blockade Deepens Humanitarian Crisis
Israel has imposed a month-long ban on food, fuel, and aid deliveries into Gaza, worsening what aid groups call a dire humanitarian emergency. Supplies of food and medicine are critically low, leaving many Gazans without access to basic necessities.
The Western-backed Palestinian Authority has condemned Israel’s expansion of military zones and corridors, calling it a violation of Palestinian sovereignty. The Authority also called on Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza, a rare public statement amid rising internal pressure.
Netanyahu Travels to Hungary Despite ICC Warrant
In the midst of military operations, Netanyahu landed in Hungary early Thursday — marking just his second foreign visit since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him in November 2024. The court accuses Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of using “starvation as a method of warfare” and intentionally targeting civilians.
Though ICC member states are technically obligated to arrest individuals under warrant, Hungary has announced it will begin withdrawing from the court’s jurisdiction, effectively shielding Netanyahu from detention during his visit.
Netanyahu’s Post-War Vision Sparks Alarm
Last weekend, Netanyahu stated that Israel plans to retain security control over Gaza after the war and implement former U.S. President Donald Trump’s “voluntary emigration” proposal — suggesting relocation of large numbers of Palestinians.
Palestinians and international human rights groups reject the plan, calling it a veiled form of forced displacement that could violate international law. Large sections of Gaza have been rendered uninhabitable after months of bombardment.
Death Toll and Destruction Mount
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that over 50,000 Palestinians have died since the war began. Israel claims about 20,000 of the dead were militants but has offered limited public evidence. The October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Most hostages have since been freed through limited ceasefires or deals, and Israel has recovered several bodies and rescued eight hostages alive.
The conflict has left 90% of Gaza’s population displaced and turned vast areas of the territory into rubble.
Israeli Strikes Hit Syria
Meanwhile, Israeli forces carried out multiple strikes in southwestern Syria overnight, reportedly killing nine people, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said the victims were local gunmen from Daraa province angered by Israel’s military activities.
The strikes hit at least five Syrian cities, including multiple targets near a major airbase in Hama. Israel claims its presence in parts of southwestern Syria is aimed at preventing attacks by armed groups, but critics argue that the intervention further destabilizes the war-torn country.
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